Western Digital MAMR

The producer of hard drives Western Digital announced in October, 2017 release in 2019 of the first serial hard drive using MAMR technology for increase in recording density of information. By 2025 WD is going to release the hard drive on this technology with a capacity of 40 terabyte,^[1] reports]^[2].

Because of constantly growing information volume, processed and stored by data centers and normal users, manufacturing companies invest large sums in increase in recording density of information on carriers. Already there is a technology of record of one bit in one atom, but so far it, as well as other similar exploratory developments, is still very far from commercial implementation in off-the-shelf systems.

The termoassistiruyemy magnetic record (HAMR) is considered one of the most perspective and rather close technologies to real use. At reduction of the size of the area storing information bit, its coercitivity should increase for reliable data storage. HAMR should solve this problem with the help of a laser beam which heats area, reduces its coercive force and allows the cutting head of a disk to remagnetize it. In spite of the fact that the largest producers of hard drives invest resources in HAMR long ago, any serial hard drive working at this technology at the moment was not released.

Western Digital decided to concentrate on alternative MAMR technology (assistiruyemy microwaves the magnetic record) which also helps to reduce coercitivity of magnetic domains, but does it in a different way. Not heating using the laser, and the microwave radiation which also causes decrease in force necessary for magnetic reversal of the domain due to effect of transfer of the spin moment is for this purpose used.

The company considers that MAMR has several advantages — for example, the lack of heating will not reduce a disk resource, unlike termoassistiruyemy record. Also specialists of the company note that the generator of microwaves can be built in the cutting head of the current construction. According to statements of the company, the first hard drives using this technology will enter the market in 2019, and by 2025 it will allow to increase the volume of disks to the 40th terabyte.

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